Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a printed circuit board, in particular for a power electronic module, comprising an electrically conductive substrate, wherein the substrate at least partially and preferably completely comprises aluminum and/or an aluminum alloy. The invention further concerns a power electronic module including at least one printed circuit board and a method of producing a printed circuit board.
Background of Related Art
The material aluminum is of ever increasing significance in particular in the field of power electronics. Due to its comparatively low weight and the low costs aluminum is frequently used as a cooling body for electronic components (for example LEDs, IGBTs or MOSFETs) in power electronic modules or directly as current-carrying conductors, in particular as a current or bus bar. For those purposes of use aluminum has a very high level of thermal conductivity and also a very high level of electrical conductivity.
In the field of power electronics an insulated metal substrate (referred to for brevity as IMS) is frequently used as the substrate, which includes a core of aluminum and which is encased by an electrically insulating or dielectric layer. In that case the aluminum core is used exclusively for improved heat conduction. The conductor tracks themselves are arranged on the insulating layer and are not electrically contacted with the aluminum core.